Heat pump system



March 27, 1956 Filed Nov. 22, 1952 A. B- NEWTON HEAT PUMP SYSTEM 5 S heets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR BY am/fiz ATTORNEY March 27, 1956 A. B. NEWTON HEAT PUMP SYSTEM 3 Sheets$heet 2 Filed Nov. 22, 1952 INVENTOR filllwllql lwYllJ ATTORNEY March 27, 1956 A. B. NEWTON HEAT PUMP SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 22, 1952 INVENTOR flZn z Z5. Nan fa.

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ATTORNEY United States Patent HEAT PUMP SYSTEM Alwin B. Newton, Jackson, Mich., assignor to Acme Industries, Inc, a corporation of Delaware Application November 22, 1952, Serial No. 322,093 2 Claims. (Cl. 62-115) The present invention relates to apparatus and a system for heating and cooling, being particularly concerned with heat pump apparatus and the structure and arrangement for changing from one season to another to provide an improved year-round system.

One object of the invention is to provide a system for automatically recircuiting the condenser and chiller circuits of refrigerated liquid coolers. Z I

Another object is toprovide a year-round heat pump system in which the heating and cooling cycles may be either manually or automatically effected.

A further object is to provide an improved circuit arrangement for the condenser and chiller of heat pump units in which all the circuits for year-round operation are under the control of a single valvestructure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a heat pump unit which is materially simplified in construction and operation as compared with existing units.

These and other objects and advantages residing in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved heat pump unit and system of operation will more fully appear from a consideration of the following specification and the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. I is a perspective view of a heat pump unit involving the present invention,

Fig. II is a schematic view of the valve structure and its relationship to the system with the valve structure being shown in side-elevational view,

Fig. III is an end view of the valve structure shown in Fig. II, and 1 Fig. IV is a vertical cross-sectional view of the valve structure shown in Figs. 11 and III.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. I is shown a heat pump unit compactly arranged and of a capacity capable of year-round heating and cooling of single family homes and similar size spaces. As residential districts are not usually provided with polyphase electrical current, the unit shown in Fig. I is equipped to handle electric motors from three to live horse power capacity on single phase current. v

As illustrated, the unit 10 has a base 12 supported by legs 14 between which is located and supported the shell and tube chiller 16. A suitable motor and compressor unit 18 is equipped with a starting capacitor 20 and a starter 22. The pump and motor unit 24 is provided to circulate the liquid through the heating and cooling coils 26 of Fig. II. The condenser for the refrigerant is indicated at 28.

The valve and conduit system for providing the basic refrigeration components just described with the advantages of the present invention, comprise a multifold valve unit 30 which is shown in detail in Figs. II, III and IV with a multiported slide 32 which may be manually moved by the knob 34 through the rod 36 or mechanically moved by the piston 38 in the cylinder 40 through the 'ice rod 42. Transverse ports 44, 46, 48 and 50 are provided in the slide 32 as more clearly shown in Fig. IV.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. I and II, water under pressure from the heat source, such as a well, ground coil or other suitable source of heat, connects through a pipe 51 with the valve unit 38 at the connection 52 leading to the port 52' regulated by the slide 32. With the slide32 positioned as shown in Fig. IV (the heating position) the water from the heat source leaves the valve unit 30 through the port 54' of the connection 54 from which it is carried by the pipe 56 and passes the usual automatic volume control valve 58 into the pipe 60 connected with the chiller 16. After heat extraction in the chiller 16, the chilled water leaves by the. pipe 62 extending to the connection 64, thence out the port 64', throughthe port 48, into the port 66, and out the used water connection 66. This describes the first open circuit as defined in the claims.

With the slide 32 of the valve unit 36 in the heating position shown in Fig. IV, return water from the coils 26 connects with the suction connection (not shown) of the'pump and motor unit 24 to discharge under pressure through the pipe 67 into the connection 68, out the port 68, through the port 46, into the port 78' and out the connection 70 into the pipe 72 leading to the jacket structure of the condenser 28 and the compressor unit 18 where a heat exchange takes place between the water being pumped by the unit 24 and the heat accumulated from the chiller 16 and the heat of the compressor unit 18. From the jacket structure just described, the heated water flows through the pipe '74 to the connection 76, out the port 76, through the port 50 into the port 78 and out the connection 78 into the pipe 79 leading to the coils 26 of the space heat exchanger then back to the connection 68 through the pipe 67 for re-circulating. This describes the second closed circuit as defined in the claims.

When the slide 32 of the valve unit 30 is shifted to the right in Fig. IV to the cooling position, the water entering the connection 52 flows through the now aligned ports 52', 44 and 80' and out the connection 89 past the valve 82 in the pipe 84 to be discharged into the pipe 72 leading to the condenser 28 and the jacket structure for the compressor unit 18 from which it is conducted to the connection 76 through aligned ports 76', 59 and 66" into the Waste water connection 66.

The cooling circuit through the coils 26 of the space heat exchanger comprises the pump 24, pipe 67 connecting with the connection 68 from which the heated water flows through the aligned ports 68, 46 and 86 and out the connection 86 into the pipe h'leading to the chiller 16. From the chiller 16, the cooled water is returned to the coils 26 by the pipe 62, connection 64, aligned ports 64', 48 and 78 and connection 78.

The mechanical shifting of the slide valve 32 may take many forms. As shown, water under pressure from the heat source flows through the pipe 88 to the threeway solenoid valve 90 which selectively directs the pressure to opposite ends of the piston 38 through pipes 92 and 94. Pipes 96 are designed with a substantially restricted flow as compared with the pipes 94 to drain water continuously from the pipes 92 and 94 and hence from the exhausting side of the piston 38 depending upon its direction of movement. Pipes 96 connect with the drain pipe 98 through a common connection 100. be understood that the valve 90 will be controlled by a suitable season change over thermostat or other mechanism which forms no part of the present invention and is well known and understood by those skilled in the art of refrigeration and heating.

It will discharge, through said chiller, conduit means defining a second open circuit for said liquid between said source andsaid discharge in heat exchange relation with" said condenser, conduit means defining a first closed circuitbetween said heat exchanger and said chiller, conduit means defining a second'closed circuit between said heat exchanger and said condenser, vaive structure common to all of said circuits to selectively control the same,

means for circuiating liquid through said heat exchanger, said heat exchanger being disposed in conduit means common' to said firstand second closed circuits.-

2. A heat pump system comprising in combination a source of liquid, awaste liquid discharge, a refrigerated liquid chiller, a refrigerant condenser, a refrigerant compressor, a heat exchanger, conduit meansdefining afirst' open circuit for said liquid between said source and said discharge through said chiller, conduit'means defining a second open circuit for said liquid between said source and said'di'scharge in heat exchange relation with said condenser, conduit means defining a first closed circuit between said heat exchanger and said chiller, conduit means defining a second closed circuit between said heat exchanger and said condenser, valve structure in said circuits to selectively control the same, means for circulating liquid through said heat exchanger, said heat exchanger being disposed in'conduit means common to said first and second closed circuits.

References Cited in the file of this. patent UNITED STATES PATENTS- 2,286,604; Crawford June 16; 1942 2,292,335 Durbin Aug. 4, 1942 2,425,703 Morse Aug-12, 1947 2,462,329 Mojonnier Feb. 22, 1949 2,473,013 Crane June 14, 1949 2,563,935 Huffman Aug. 14, 1951 2,589,384 Hopkins Mar. 18; 1952 2,622,617 Sederquist Dec; 23,1952 2,638,123 Vargo May 12, 1953 2,690,327 Sardeson Sept: 28, 1954 

